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FremantleMedia launches Pets & Animals Channel on YouTube
MUMBAI: Television format and creator FremantleMedia is bringing a new channel to online video social network YouTube as part of the social online network‘s new original channels‘ initiative.
The original Pets and Animals channel (title TBA) is scheduled to launch next year.
FremantleMedia‘s new YouTube channel will aim to be an entertaining and informative destination for pet and animal lovers that celebrates the bonds between people and their pets, and shows how these relationships enhance our lives together.
Programming will include original shows that explore topics covering expert opinions, pet health and wellness, celebrity pets, owner advice and real life animal stories.
Through its long-standing commercial partnership with YouTube and with more than 50 official channels currently on YouTube on four continents, FremantleMedia is an established online content creator and one of the only TV producers to have content in YouTube‘s Top 100 most viewed videos of all time.
FremantleMedia‘s new media division, FMX senior VP of development, production Richard Vargas commented, “We are really proud to create quality entertainment and talent shows that ignite people‘s passions. Now, we are bringing the same storytelling and production skills to a subject close to everyone‘s hearts – their pets – to make truly compelling viewing.”
FremantleMedia Enterprises VP, Interactive, mobile and digital content Olivier Delfosse said, “Our new YouTube channel will serve as a stand-alone destination for fans of pet and animal content outside of traditional television networks. FremantleMedia has a longstanding relationship with YouTube, from our many audition programs to numerous partner channels, and we are excited to bring a unique experience to pet and animal lovers of all ages.”
YouTube has announced plans to bring around 100 new original channels, created specifically for today‘s connected viewers, to its platform. Well-known personalities and content producers from TV, film, music, news and sports, as well as some of the most innovative new media companies in the world and some of YouTube‘s own existing partners, will launch new, ad supported channels for YouTube‘s worldwide audience. The first channels will start launching on YouTube next month and continue over the next year.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
